What inspires you to keep riding through the dark winter evenings?

Keep fit, stop getting fat and a break from driving to work (longish cycle commute which I do twice a week); even though I look like Ziggy Stardust crossed with a Martian with all the lights and high-viz (I assume most motorists are idiots).

For me winter is probably 30% cycling 70% running; summer the other way round. I don't mind the rain and cold etc but perpetual drive chain wear and bike cleaning gets me down.

Fear of having my ass whooped next year racing....

Only weekend outdoor riding for me in the winter months. When the cold/ wet/ dark evenings kick in it is perfect time to evaluate the summer performance and work on any weaknesses on the turbo. A single midweek turbo session plus Sat & Sunday rides helps to keep the legs loose while recovering from the summer of hard riding.  At the turn of the year we throw an extra turbo session in midweek to start dropping the body weight and work on conditioning for Spring Boot Camp in March.

If you want a reason to ride through the winter book yourself on to an early event or cycling holiday in 2016.

Same reason I cycle through the summer months. There is no better way to get from point A to point B. Different bike, different clothes, different daylight hours, different temperature, but the same satisfaction that for the hour before I start work in the morning and the hour after I finish work in the evening I am doing something I love.

The thought of having to use public transport in london during the rush hour.

Goals ! That's what keeps me motivated throughout the winter. I plan my winter based on events I want to do spring summer  otherwise what's the point in training if you've got nothing to train for ? 

Dc

There are 3 elements to inclement riding: Cold, Wind and Rain. One at any given time is perfectly manageable (with the right equipment). Two together is a bit grim, but do-able. A combination of all three is when I usually throw in the towel.

Two month after  breaking my ankle, I'm only just able to start cycling again. Yesterday was my longest ride since the accident - a whopping twenty five miles at 10 mph, so I'm desperate to get back into shape and no amount of weather is going to be putting me off.

I try not to give myself the option of not commuting by bike.  It's the only exercise I get so the weather can't be a deciding factor!

Turbotrainer

I echo the sentiments of the Facebook community - so I don't get fat(ter).

I go road riding before work- typically 30km of hill climbing and descending up the road from my house in NW London.

Alternatively I can sneak in a good hour on my mountain bike on my secret trails in NW London. 

Nothing like a fast, brutual workout to blow away any "winter blues", then 15km commute to work, and 15km commute home, lots of riding cures the blues

It provides balance.  

In my case the alternative is waking an angry scottish woman about 3 hours early to get a lift to the station - not a pleasant prospect

Same as everyone else, outrunning my demons.

[edit] I actually prefer it to summer riding (commuting in particular), there are many, many fewer people sharing the edge of the road and those left tend not to be the hyper aggressive, hairy-chested sunshine specialists, lights are more effective than daylight (imo), damp ground reduces rolling resistance noticeably, you feel like a hero and it lessens the pace of suntan deterioration.